The Nuria Copper Mine, a great place to get the raw materials

#1

Nuria had some amazing success with her mine.

Production was up, and Copper Ore was flowing out. Now she just needed some good clients. The good news was she had heard there was a bunch of Banking Guilders willing to ship the Ore to the colony of Doyest Vesk.

The bad news…there was some parasite infecting the workers.

Once she got that handled, there would be some real ghaz flowing into her hands. And that would allow her to make some real changes. She could stay here, build more, or leave it behind in the hands of the Guilders and seek her fortune elsewhere. But in any case, she would need to drive out these parasites…

#2

Nuria looked at Alphine and Eli. “You’ve been up here longer than I have.” She got on the comm crystals to Lurtor and Grimm. “And you guys have been here longer, and seem to have been around the block once or twice.”

To everyone, “Has anyone encountered anything like these Ice creatures before?”

#3

shrugs

“Not that I know of,” Eli sigh.

“Don’t have a clever way other than armor up, shoot or burn the ice heart and maybe set up traps.”

#4

“Too bad we don’t have any holy fire water or something to combat ‘em. Could you art’ that up Nuria with help? You being a fire starter leyas gal (OOC: cue The Prodigy - Firestarter music) and all - bet you can think of some edge.”

#5

“Fire does seem pretty effective,” Nuria admitted. “I don’t know about ‘fire-water’. Sounds counter-productive.”

She shrugged. “Well, let’s hope fire is as effective against whatever the source of these things is.”

#6

Lurtor says "I have not encountered these things before, but they seem to have the same common risk like other beasts. You don’t want them touching you and implanting a crystal.

I can either use my songs to affect only the undead to drop them, then allowing us to smash the crystals then revive the victim, or use a sonic attack to shatter the crystals in mass. My only concern there is that the attack could hit the walls as well as the hosts of the crystals. Being underground is not optimal for the sonic attack.

I’m not great with fire, but if its used, make sure to put out the fire before the body is lost."

(OOC With Songmaster, Lurtor can damage the Undead alone.)

#7

“I don’t know,” Nuria said. “I’d like to do this without even risking any damage to the tunnels. Fire seems, so far, the way to go.”

She thought for a moment. “My aura might work on the crystals alone. Melt them without hurting the host. Have to probably strike the insects full on, but, really, I don’t think I’ll have much issue getting to the source of these things. I just don’t know what to expect when I get there.”

#8

Lurtor says "I’ve got your back on this Nuria. These things won’t be able to control me, so if things go back I’ll do a wide spread… something… to try and reset the battle destroying as many crystals as possible.

A fireshield of something, might not be a bad idea though. That way to get to you they have to go through enough heat to shatter those crystals. Great idea."

#9

“I’ll just wear a face mask and go a fistful of gaz to protect me,” stated Eli as he cocked his guns.

“Aim for the heart, ice ghouls. Aim for the heart you big dummies. Heh heh heh.”

#10

Alphine said, "That makes sense. Eli can use his gunfighting to keep the Ice Worms and their hosts away from Nuria. Nuria can burn the worms and the ice hearts, and Lurtor can put out the fires before the whole host body is consumed. If you work slowly and take it tunnel by tunnel, that might actually work.

I’ll set up a hospital tent out here for anyone who has been purged of Ice Worms but needs healing from burns."

#11

Nuria clapped a hand gently on Alphine’s shoulder. “That’s a good idea. Just in case.”

To Eli and Lurtor, she asked “Would it be possible to bring in a few of those clones from wherever to help move any wounded while we do our thing?”

#12

“Nope. Nope. No. Oh god no, not the clones,” twitched Eli. “Can’t really order them to do anything. Oh god I tired. Change subject.”

#13

Lurtor says “Still working on them. Eli is correct for now. Sounds good. Lets go with that plan. Nuria Burn, Eli Keep them off us, and I’ll put out fires to save the bodies for healing and reviving.”

#14

“Lock and load,” smilled Eli.

#15

Grim looked at the others and said “well, i guess that is one way to do things. We can go with that plan for now. Is there any one we should not do anything untoward to?”

#16

“Don’t think so. As long we try to NOT final death the miners, all should be a hooting and shooting good time. Since leyas hates me like Adam Smith hates a no hero discount, I’ll go first,” Eli said as he geared up.

#17

(Week 10+)

The Nuria Copper Mine was in full production again. The end of the theat of Pelonious had given the workers a feeling of relief that resulted in great productivity.

Already Nuria was getting word from Alphine that Archaelogists from the Academia of Chooru were petitioning her for access to the mine to use the backdoor into the Frozen Homeforge. It could be a valuable partnership, but it would be up to Nuria to decide.

The Copper mine now took up the space of a settlement, with workers barracks set up in the caves that were no longer being mined out. These caves were being reshaped by the workers into homes, but Nuria knew she might have to expand a real town if she wanted to house more workers and make money off the people who would be excited to explore the Frozen Homeforge.

#18

“I’m gonna be gone for a bit, so i need you to take the reings, again. Start expansion on an actual town here,” Nuria said to Alphine. "Get things set here, see to it that the workers are taken care of here. If production slows a little bit so it can get done, that’s fine.

“No archeologists til I get back.”

#19

(After Finale)

Alphine smiled in a kind way and said, "PeaceLord Nuria.

It is rather funny to think that you are aristocracy now. I remember when you were just a stow-away on Domin’s transport fleet. Now you have a crown. Couldn’t have happened to a better gal.

Just make sure you don’t forget what it was like to be at the bottom of the totem pole."

Alphine and Nuria stepped outside and looked at the workers. There were men, women, and most races represented here, including IceWyrm workers and Cloud Slaver workers.

“We are expanding out a small merchant district and more housing over there,” said Alphine, "And with the influx of funds from Boriel I’tash, we now have defensible walls, and trade houses. I just hope he doesn’t expect much in return. We have no warriors here, no defenders.

If Boriel demands aide in defending Boriel’s Retreat, we won’t be able to send more than workers with pick axes and mining tools. It is something we may face one day, as one of his PeaceLords."